Monday, May 24, 2010

The Caducity List

Monday's w/ Michael
I don't want to embrangle anyone. I realize that many of Jane's readers suffer from muliebrity, so I will try to handle this with mansuetude.
The English language is constantly changing. New words are being created and older words are being used less and less. Lexicographers are the people who track these changes. They read through new books, articles, etc and determine which new words are taking hold and which old words are dying out. Then approximately every 10 years, they update dictionaries with the changes.
Here are a few words on the chopping block.
Caducity - transitory; the state of being impermanent or perishable
Embrangle - to confuse; make more complicated
Mansuetude - gentleness of manner
Muliebrity - the condition of being a woman
Agrestic - rural; rustic
Hither - to this place
Olid - foul smelling
Snollygoster - a shrewd, unprincipled person, especially a politician
Skedaddle - to leave a place suddenly
Nigh - nearly; almost
Oppugnant - combative; opposing; antagonistic
Fubsy - chubby or squat
Hootenanny - an informal gathering featuring folk singing and often dancing
Make it a great week!
***The above words were taken from Uncle John's Endlessly Engrossing Bathroom Reader***

1 comment:

  1. Okay, we HAVE to keep snollygoster around. What a funny word! And it could be so useful in today's political climate! :) I say we start using it pronto and maybe it will start to catch on.

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